Playing death: thin-toed frogs

Playing death: thin-toed frogs

Death-feigning (thanatosis) helps amphibians to avoid being eaten by predators. It has been documented for white-lipped frogs of the genus Leptodactylus among other frogs. Niklas Fuchs, Markus Schönleitner and Mark Oliver Rödel now documented this behavior for the first time for the red-thighed thin-toed frog Leptodactylus rhodomerus, published as a short note in Herpetological Review. It was discovered accidentally – after one of the authors walked on the trails and lightly stepped on the frog.

Fuchs N, Schönleitner M, Rödel MO (2024) Leptodactylus rhodomerus (Red-thighed thin-toed frog). Thanatosis. Herpetological Review 55(3)

Screenshot